Improvement in the manufacture of articles from paper pulp



1 1 O 8 33 YPATENTEDI JAN 10 .1871

4 Fig. l.

anon sine snot/om FRANCIS CURTIS, OF FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORDAVID SGRYMGEOUR, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 110,833, dated January 10, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTECLES FROM PAPER PULP.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesump.

To all to whom these presents shall come:

Be it known that I, Fnaxors OURTIs, of Foxhorough, in the county ofNorfolk and State ofMassachnscttsdiavc made an invention of a new anduseful to which our invention is applicable, the material be- 'inganimal or vegetable fiber, or both combined.

The process oy which the frames are made is in part as follows:

The fihcr, which may he cotton, linen, jute, manilla, hemp, flax, wood,wool, leather, or other animal or vegetable libcr, is subjected to apicking or cleaning process, aml thcn reduced in a cutter or picker, orother suitable machine, and boiled in alkali from six to flirty-eighthours, until it-is sufiicicntlysoftencd for the purpose.

The libcr may also be used in the natural state without boiling. 1

The stock fiber is now to he reduced to thepropcr consistency, by beingout, broken, or separated, so

that the fibers will lie together, and the-whole mass bc formcd into apulpy condition, so that .it may be formed into a thick felt and shapedinto. the mold or 5 niturc, carvings, moldings, car trimmings,

die, or it may be deposited onto thc mold or die in a pulpy state, mixedwith water The fiber may be reduced in an ordinary paper onginc, or byany othcr process suitable; or it lhay be also formed into the body orfelt upon a'papcr machiuc, and used in the form of a thick paper felt;or it may be formed upon a wire gauze or other perforated surface, fromwhich the water has been pressed or drawn through the fibers by means ofsuction produccd by hydraulic, atmospheric, or steam pressure.

Having thus reduced the fiber to the proper conditron, I now proceed tomake the frame orother device.

I prepare a die from or in imitation of the article I wish to produce,either by elcctrotyping or otherwise. I now take the fiber, either inthe felted form or in the pulpystatc, as I may prefer, and form or moldit into the mold or die, and by manipulation and pressure I. force thefiber into the mold'until it reccivcs the perfect impression and is aperfect fac simile. This is now to. be dried, and, if necessary, .whendry, to be subjected to heavy pressure until it is in perfect form andvery smooth, and capable of receiving a very smooth surface.

The frame is now to 'lzc water-proofed, which may be done with shellacor varnish, or by any of theproccsscs by which paper is water-proofed,and is then ready to be painted, gilded, flocked, or ornamented inany'dcsired manner; I

The advantages which ornaments of this class posscss are V First,cheapness, as I believe. they can be produced more cheaply than by anyother process, as one the or mold will produce an unlimited number atthe. rate of tln'cc to six per minute.

Second, the ornaments are much lighter, and will not crack nor shrinkbyexposure to changes of the atmosphere, and are very tough and durable.

Third, they are capable of being produced in an infinitc variety, and ofthe most beautiful pat-terns and dcsigns, for excelling plaster, wood,or any of the materials now in use, which are all more or less effectedby the atmosphere and moisture and are easily broken.

There are many purposes to which my invention can be applied, such asbrackets, ornaments for furcrpots, cuspadors, table-mats, trays,book-covers, 85c.

Claim.

I claimlhc heroin-described manufacture of articles of ornamcnt.

FRANCIS CURTIS.

Witnesses:

Cans. E. DAMON, WM. BUSTEED.

